State Reps. J. Paul Brown, Sal Pace and Randy Baumgardner tonight at Club 20’s annual steak fry in Grand Junction. All three will debate their November opponents tomorrow. The Western Slope group is holdings its fall meeting. (Lynn Bartels. The Denver Post)

Former state lawmakers Peggy Lamm and Russ George share a laugh tonight at Club 20’s steak fry in Grand Junction. (Lynn Bartels, The Denver Post)

Republicans and Democrats mingled tonight at Club 20’s steak fry at Cross Orchards Historic Site, but tomorrow has a more partisan tone as the group hosts a congressional debate and several legislative debates at Colorado Mesa University.

State Rep. Sal Pace is up on television today with the first campaign ad of the 3rd Congressional district race – a peek inside the Pace home on a typical morning as he and his wife get their three kids ready in the morning.

Titled “A Regular Guy,” the ad introduces the Pueblo Democrat to the district’s voters as a working class guy who understands rural Coloradans’ struggles.

The ad, which will air on all four of the media markets that are in the 3rd district, starts with Pace getting his kids out of bed and ends with the family holding hands and saying grace around the kitchen table. Pace narrates:

U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, state Rep. Mark Waller and state Rep. Joe Miklosi at the Denver Rustlers luncheon today. Tipton and Miklosi, who served together in the state House, said they weren't wearing their western shirts or hats because they couldn't stay for the entire event.

The Denver Rustlers luncheon today featured appearances by several congressional candidates.

U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Golden, and his Republican challenger, Joe Coors, said they have received numerous comments about a story in Sunday’s Denver Post detailing the unusual ways their families are intertwined and their efforts to try to remain civil.

Other members of Congress or their challengers who showed up, even if briefly: U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Aurora, and his Democratic opponent, Joe Miklosi; U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez; U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, and Eric Weissmann, who lost his bid to be the GOP nominee in the 2nd Congressional District.

Republican lawmaker Mark Waller hands his extra drink tickets to Democratic lawmaker Sal Pace for Pace's father to use at the Colorado State Fair's legislative barbeque.

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Gov. John Hickenlooper and U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton.

“Anybody have any extra drink tickets?” Rep. Sal Pace wanted to know during the Colorado State Fair’s annual legislative barbeque.

Rep. Mark Waller, who doesn’t drink much, jumped to his feet to help out Pace’s father.

Waller, R-Colorado Springs, and Pace, D-Pueblo, who serve together in the state House, joked about their bipartisan moment.

Across the tent, the notoriously nonpartisan Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, greeted guests at the dinner, including sharing a laugh with U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez. Tipton and Pace are running against each other in the 3rd Congressional District.

Republican Scott Tipton and Democrat Sal Pace pretend to duke it out during the Colorado State Fair's annual legislative barbeque in Pueblo Friday. They are running in the 3rd Congressional District.

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Democrat Netto “Chuck” Rodosevich and Republican Clarice Navarro-Ratzlaff, who are running for House District 47.

Candidates running against each can expect to run into each other at the Colorado State Fair’s legislative barbeque, where party lines aren’t nearly as important as partying.

Such was the case with U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, who is being challenged by state Rep. Sal Pace, D-Pueblo, in the 3rd Congressional District. Tipton said several Democrats gave him the thumps up sign. (Is he sure it wasn’t another digit? I had to ask.)

Also at the dinner were Democrat Netto “Chuck” Rodosevich and Republican Clarice Navarro-Ratzlaff, who are running for an open seat in House District 47, which includes portions of Pueblo and Fremont counties and Otero County. It’s a race that’s been deemed one to watch.

This is the first election in a while without a governor or U.S. race on the ballot. Those candidates and their entourages traditionally pack the legislative barbeque.

Pueblo businesswoman and unaffiliated candidate Tisha Casida is focusing her attention on raising money now that she’s made the ballot for the 3rd congressional district race.

“Fundraising is really number one,” the 30-year-old said this week. “We really need to step it up.”

The secretary of state’s office on Monday said Casida had turned in a total of 921 eligible signatures – more than the 800 she needed to make the ballot. (Her original submission came up 127 signatures short, but Casida’s campaign used the “cure” period to get the additional names).

She will face Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton of Cortez and state Rep. Sal Pace, D-Pueblo, to represent the district, which comprises 29 counties in southern and western Colorado.

Casida, whose views align closely with conservative Congressman Ron Paul, said she plans to participate in the next debate, scheduled for Sept. 8 at Club 20 in Grand Junction. She’s also trying to hold some town hall-style meetings across the district. And she’s hoping that anyone who was waiting to give money until they knew whether she was on the ballot will start supporting her now.

U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton and state Rep. Sal Pace already are in one of the most competitive Congressional races in the country. And now they may have company.

Tisha Casida, 30, a businesswoman from Pueblo, turned in ballot petitions this week to run in the 3rd Congressional district as an unaffiliated candidate. Casida needs 800 valid signatures to make the ballot. She told the Post she turned in more than the required number; the secretary of state’s office estimated it was between 1,000 and 1,100.

It will be a few days, at least, before Casida learns if she’s made the ballot. In the meantime, she says no one should count her out.

On the eve of the U.S. House vote to repeal President Obama’s health care bill, Congressman Scott Tipton’s campaign manager slammed Democratic opponent Sal Pace for failing to take a clear stand on the issue, while Pace called the repeal vote “nothing more than an attempt to score partisan political points.”

Tipton, R-Cortez, voted against the bill commonly known as “Obamacare” in 2010. He voted for repeal in January 2011 and plans to do so again tomorrow.

The vote is seen as a political response by Republicans to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling declaring the bill is constitutional, and is unlikely to go anywhere beyond the House since Democrats control the Senate and the bill’s main architect and promoter still is in the White House.

Tipton and Pace are squaring off to represent the 3rd Congressional District, which stretches from the Western Slope to much of southern Colorado, and is considered one of the most competitive races in the country.

A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton said today Tipton will debate state Rep. Sal Pace at least twice this campaign season.

The comments came one day after Pace, a Democrat from Pueblo, issued a news release criticizing the Cortez Republican for not committing to debate despite “numerous invites” and the 3rd Congressional district being considered one of the most competitive races in the nation.

Tipton spokesman Michael Fortney said today that Tipton will “definitely” participate in debates sponsored by Club 20 in Grand Junction and the Pueblo Chieftain.Read more…

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.